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Thread: Sage advice for SBRs

  1. #1
    Member snow white's Avatar
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    Unhappy Sage advice for SBRs

    I'm just getting into my first sbr and wanted to ask for some advice regarding anything you guys think I need to know. It will be an ar chambered in 5.56. I'll be getting an 11.5 lightweight bcm upper once i sell my 14.5 ballistic advantage upper. The lower I registered has an A1 stock with a LAW folder, geissele H1 buffer with the braided spring. I'll be adding a surfire warcomp as I think they do a good job with flash suppression and I have good experience with them.
    Should I go for a heavier buffer?
    Any good ammunition offerings in 5.56 for an sbr? Lighter bullets? Heavier bullets?
    Let me bask in your infinite knowledge.

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  3. #3
    Member Wake27's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snow white View Post
    I'm just getting into my first sbr and wanted to ask for some advice regarding anything you guys think I need to know. It will be an ar chambered in 5.56. I'll be getting an 11.5 lightweight bcm upper once i sell my 14.5 ballistic advantage upper. The lower I registered has an A1 stock with a LAW folder, geissele H1 buffer with the braided spring. I'll be adding a surfire warcomp as I think they do a good job with flash suppression and I have good experience with them.
    Should I go for a heavier buffer?
    Any good ammunition offerings in 5.56 for an sbr? Lighter bullets? Heavier bullets?
    Let me bask in your infinite knowledge.
    Barrel length won’t matter so much as barrel twist when talking light vs heavy loads. Some rounds will perform significantly better out of a shorter barrel than others due to low velocity threshold for expansion, but I’m sure the above linked thread covers that (been a while since I read it last). H2 is typically the standard for 14.5 midlength barrels, so that may be a better starting point. I’d assume an H3 might be even better. BCM is a great brand, that’ll be a solid upper.


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  4. #4
    THE THIRST MUTILATOR Nephrology's Avatar
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    I run an H2 in my 11.5" SBR, no issues, but I only use quality brass ammo. Recoil is very mild. I wouldn't lose much sleep over it- buy one and see how it shoots. I wouldn't change unless I was having issues.

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    I just want to know why you’re frowning when you have your first sbr on the way?

  6. #6
    If an SBR is gassed right, an H2 buffer is a good choice. If you wanna go with a heavier buffer, get the A5 RE assembly.

    A 10.5" 5.56 is going to be loud and I've tried several different muzzle devices. In my experience, only two are worth considering- a suppressor or the BRT Covert Comp. The suppressor is self explanatory, but why the Covert Comp? Because the Covert Comp is small, light, affordable and performs as well as (if not better) than many heavier, larger, more expensive linear comps.

    Extractor spring quality is critical. The more violent extraction of a shorty will pound a weak extractor spring mercilessly and the AR will quickly start malfunctioning. Do yourself a favor and replace the extractor spring with the copper colored Colt M4 spring and buy a few spares before your first outing.

    Don't be afraid to stretch your SBR out. It will launch a bullet over 300 yards with ease and precision. Iron sights, RDS and LPV optics are all good choices. It's just a matter of what you prefer. I can tell you from experience there is great satisfaction in popping a prairie dog with a scoped and suppressed shorty. A shorty AR is much more versatile than many realize. It's my favorite configuration. Stock up on ammo- you're gonna need it.

    Gen 3 Magpul mags are the most trouble free mags right out of the wrapper. If your upper is set up for drop in hand guards, get the Magpul Slimline. Slimlines give you more room to stretch out than any other drop ins and work well to protect the shooter from heat.

    Keep it lubed. You don't have to go crazy, just place a couple of drops of oil in the exhaust ports of the carrier every now and then. Shorties seem to dry out oil faster than longer barreled ARs.

    You're gonna love it. The best AR purchase I ever made was an SBR- the Colt 6933.
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  7. #7
    Site Supporter Cool Breeze's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MistWolf View Post
    A 10.5" 5.56 is going to be loud and I've tried several different muzzle devices. In my experience, only two are worth considering- a suppressor or the BRT Covert Comp. The suppressor is self explanatory, but why the Covert Comp? Because the Covert Comp is small, light, affordable and performs as well as (if not better) than many heavier, larger, more expensive linear comps.
    I always wondered how these linear comps did. Have you had the chance to test any of the others out? Like you said, they look huge and heavy. Can you approximately compare how loud a a 10.5 with the linear comp is to say a 14.5 or 16in with pinned flash hider or brake?
    Last edited by Cool Breeze; 01-07-2020 at 11:42 PM.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Cool Breeze View Post
    I always wondered how these linear comps did. Have you had the chance to test any of the others out? Like you said, they look huge and heavy. Can you approximately compare how loud a a 10.5 with the linear comp is to say a 14.5 or 16in with pinned flash hider or brake?
    Simply put, brakes are brutal and only get worse as barrel length shortens. I've had braked ARs shot next next to me at the range and often the concussion hit me with a painful slap.

    I have used on my personally owned ARs the A2 birdcage, Battlecomp and suppressor. In addition, I've fired ARs equipped with various brakes, comps & flash hiders as well as having been next to variously configured ARs at the range. In general, the shorter the barrel, the greater the design limits of muzzle devices are tested. Concussion and sound pressure is greater and fireballs larger. For example, the concussion from a Battle Comp was soft- softer than the concussion from an A2 on the same barrel. But it was brutal on a 10.5" barrel and the fireball very bright. When shooting that combination, I got a lot of critical comments from fellow shooters.

    My brother installed a BRT Covert Comp on an 11.5" upper. The Covert Comp does a good job pushing concussion and sound downrange. Tone sounds deeper. The fireball was very small- smaller than an A2 pinned to a 14.5" barrel. Standing next an AR with the Covert Comp was much more comfortable than any other device except a suppressor. Recoil was flatter than with an A2.
    We wish to thank the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, without whose assistance this program would not have been possible.

  9. #9
    Member snow white's Avatar
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    So if my goal is to subdue flash to the best of my ability would the covert comp be a good idea or would a three prong flash hider do well on a short barrel. Like I said I was leaning twords the shurfire warcomp

  10. #10
    Site Supporter jandbj's Avatar
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    My personal SBR journey went from 11.5” to 10.5”, and then the Goldilocks moment was the 12.5” BCM Kino upper. Best combination of handling, tolerable blast (without resorting to a can full time) and the ability to put a white light where I wanted it without cramping available the room on the handguard. Works great with 55-75 grain bullets. Running an H2 buffer since day 1. Been running it for a few years now.
    Last edited by jandbj; 01-08-2020 at 03:42 PM.

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